Commutator.



W; T. HENSLEY.

COMMUTATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18. 19m.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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Mums F529;. m. um mama W. T. HENSLEY.

COMMUTATORu APPLICATION FILED SEPT- xs 1913.

Patented Sept, 25, 1917.

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ll/ 1/! I 111/ Ill/l1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. HENSLEY, OF BOUNDBROOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO BOUND BROOK ENGINE & MFG. 00., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

'oommu'ra'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed September 18, 1913. Serial No. 790,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAMT. 'HENsLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Boundbrook, Somerset county, New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Commutators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to commutators for dynamos and motors in general.

The object of my invention, generally stated, is to provide a novel and eflicient commutator of that kind in which the conducting bars are securely held in place and spaced apart by suitable insulation.

A special object is to provide a commutator of this character in which the construction and arrangement are such that the cost of manufacture will be comparatively low,

and whereby the commutator will be strong and serviceable in use, as well as more satisfactory. from a manufacturing standpoint than heretofore.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general eliiciency and desirability of a commutator of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a commutator embodying the principles of my invention, showing the same with the parts thereof separated and arranged in position to be assembled together.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the said parts assembled and secured together.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the said commutator.

Fig. 4: shows one of the mica disks or rings which form a part of the means for insulating the commutator bars, said disk being shown flat-that is to say, in the condition inwhich it is before being applied to the commutator.

Fig. 5 shows the way n which the mica disk is formed by means of a clamping ring. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the mica ring or disk shown in Fig. 4. i

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views illustrating a different form of my invention.

Figs. 9 and 10 show another form of my invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the collar or sleeve of mica which is interposed between the commutator bars and the holder in which they are carried.

Fig. 12 is a perspective of one of the commutator bars.

Fig. 13 is a perspective of one of the slabs of mica which are interposed between the parallel commutator bars, and which alternate therewith, whereby the bars are insulated from each other.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs.

1 to 6 inclusive, and 11 to 13 inclusive, my invention comprises a tubular holder A of suitable metal, provided at one end with a 7G flange or annular shoulder ahaving a groove a on the inner side thereof, which groove forms an annular seat. At its other end the said holder is provided with a similar-shoulder (1 having a seat or annular groove of which is disposed in opposition to the seat or groove a but in this case the shoulder a is not integral with the holder, but is held in position by the upset or riveted end of the portion a of the holder. The commutator bars B have rounded end portions 6 and b which conform to the curvature of the seats a and a being held in position thereby, and each bar having a radial lug b which, when finished, has a notch b for the connecting wire. These bars are wedge shaped in character, as shown more clearly in Fig. 12, and are provided with outer wearing edges 7)" which engage the brushes of the dynamo or motor. The inner or forward edges -6 of the bars are insulated from the holder A by a sleeve C of suitable insulation, such as mica, which sleeve fits the said holder in the manner shown in Figs. 1

The means for insulating the ends of the bars B from the shoulders a and a comprises a pair of mica disks of the kind shown'in Fig. 4. These mica disks D are each composed ofseveral superimposed layers of sheet material, such as mica, and are provided with radial slits d, the slits of the different layers being staggered, whereby and 2. I

the flexible and radial portions d thus provided alternate or break joint with each other, in the manner shown, and as will be readily understood. Consequently, and when these mica disks are slipped over the smaller end of the holder A, the portions (Z bend and distribute themselves suitable 45- Then the end portion of the holder A is manner around the holder, and readily conform to the curvature of the seats or grooves a and a in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby forming continuations of the insulation provided by the sleeve 0, and thus insulating the ends of the bars from the shoulders of the holder.

In practice, for example, the layers or laminae of the insulating rings are quite thin, and are held together bya shellac or other binder, heat and pressure having been applied to drive out the surplus, leaving only a small amount of binder between the 1a ers or laminae. These disks or rings, w en cool, are quite firm, and require the application of heat to conform them to the grooves of the shoulders. For this purpose the disk or ring D can be clamped at its commutator bars B can be accomplished in any suitable manner, but they are preferably subjected to a moderate heat before being placed in position. Thus the disks or rings D are made soft and flexible, and when the bars B are compressed endwise, the 'said disks conform readily to the curvature of the grooves in the shoulders.

"When the insulation is in position on the holder, as shown at the left in Fig. 1, the confinutator bars B, separated by sheets or slabs of mica E, are then placed in position with their ends 6 bearing against the insulation of the seat a and the ring-like shoulder 0?, with the insulation D in place there on, is then slipped over the end of the holder A, whereby the commutator bars are clamped. endwise between the two shoulders.

upset or riveted over at a for the purpose of preventing the shoulder a from slipping 011'. In this way the commutator bars are held .against displacement by the clcncherlike annular flanges or shoulders provided at each end. of the commutator.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the construction is similar to that previously shown and described, but in this case the holder F is made from a piece of tubing, and the retaining shoulders f and f are formed by the outwardly bent or curved ends of the tube, the portions f being bent or curved against the commutator bars, in the manner shown. after the said bars have been adjusted in place. In this way, the holder F as formed practically from sheet metal, and

is tent to conform to the contour of the ends of the commutator bars, whereby said bars cannot be removed except by bendingone of the flanges or shoulders back into 1ts original position. The commutator thus provided, like the one previously described, is of a unitary, compact and solid nature, being formed to slip over the shaft or dynamo of the motor.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that in this case the holder G has its removable shoulder or flange 9 held in place by a nut or screw threaded ring '9 which latter is screwed upon the threaded end portion of the said holder. With this construction the commutator bars are very firmly clamped endwise between the two shoulders g and 9 in the manner previously described. The shoulder g, how ever, can be removed by unscrewing the end 9 and this construction would be preferable under anycircumstances rendering it necessary or desirable to readily and easily remove the commutator bars for repair or substitution.

With each form of my invention the ends of the commutator bars are shaped to fit the seats provided by the axially opposed shoulders at the opposite ends of the holder. As shown, the said seats are in the form of grooves into which the ends of the commutator bars project, but I do not limit myself to this exact construction. Broadly considered, the shortest distance between. the two opposing flanges or annular shoulders is lessthan the length over all of each commutator bar. I-Ience, and for this reason, the bars cannot be removed except by a substantial relative movement between the two shoulders away from each other.

In each form of my invention, it will be seen, the insulation extends continuously from the outer edges of the bars B to a point underneath said barsthat is to say. to a point on. the holders. This, it will be seen, permits of an exact thickness of material being used, as distinguished from prior structures in which the variation of thickness of the insulation caused considerable difiiculty, the bars sometimes becoming loose. l urthermore, and with my improved construction, the bars are held more securely in place against hammering and centrifugal force.

It found necessary or desirable, the shoulders or ends of ;the commutator can be provided with small flanges a, and the surface between these flanges and the bars B can be covered by cording a, or other insulation, to prevent the current from jumping the mica rings and escaping into the holder of the commutator.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A commutator comprising a tubular holder, annular shoulders encircling said holder, disposedfa distance apart, provid ingopposed retaining sea-ts, conducting bars arranged side by side around said holder, disposed longitudinally thereof, formed with end portions engaging said seats, and means for insulating the bars thus held against displacement by the opposition of said shoulders, the said means eranprising a mica disk composed of superimposed sheets of material, slitted to form converging portions, the slits of different sheets breaking joint, and said disk being interposed between the bars and one shoulder, conforming thereto, and extending a distance between the holder and the inner edges of the bars.

A commutator comprising a tubular holder, annular shoulders encircling said holder, disposed a distance apart, providing opposed retaining seats, conducting bars arranged side by side around said holder, disposed. longitudinally thereof, formed with end portions engaging said seats, the said seats being in the form of annular grooves which face each other, and said end portions being shaped to enter said grooves, and means for insulating the bars thus held againstdisplacement. by the opposition of said shoulders, the said means comprising a mica disk composed of superimposed sheets of material, slitted to form converging portions, the slits of different sheets breaking joint, and said disk being interposed between the bars and one shoulder, conforming thereto, and extending a distance between the holder and the inner edges of the bars.

3. A commutator comprising a tubular holder, annular shoulders encircling said holder, disposed a distance apart, providing opposed retaining seats, conducting bars arranged side by side around said holder, disposed longitudinally thereof, formed with end portions engaging said seats, said end portions being rounded, and said seats being shaped to conform. to the curve of said end portions, and means for insulating the bars thus held against displacen'lent by the opposition of said shoulders, the said means comprising. a mica disk composed of superimposed sheets of material,

slitted to form converging pori sas. he

slits of different sheets breaking joint, and

said disk being interposed between the bars holder, annular shoulders encircling said holder, disposed a distance apart, pr0viding opposed retaining seats, conducting bars arranged side by side around said holder, disposed longitudinally thereof, formed with end portions engagingsaid seats, said shoulders holding the bars under endwise compression, and the shortest distance between said seats being less than the length over all of said bars, and means for insulating the bars thus held against displacement by the opposition of said shoulders, the said means comprising'a mica disk composed of superimposed sheets of material, slitted to form converging portions, the slits of different'sheets breaking joint, and said disk being interposed between the bars and one shoulder, conforming thereto, and extending a distance between the holder and the inner edges of the bars.

5. A commutator comprising a tubular holder, annular shoulders encircling said holder, disposed a distance apart, provid ing opposed retaining seats, conducting bars arranged side by side around said holder, disposed longitudinally thereof, formed with end portions engaging said seats, at least one of said shoulders being integral with said-holder, and ,means for insulating the bars thus held against displacement by the opposition of said shoulders, the said means comprising a mica disk composed of superimposed sheets of material, slitted to form converging portions, the slits of different sheets breaking joint, and said disk being interposed between the bars and one shoulder, conforming thereto, and extending a distance between the holder and the inner edges of the bars.

Signed by me at Boundbrook, New Jersey, this 12th day of September, 1913.

WVILLIAM T. HENSLEV. l l itnesses J. A. MECHLER, M. W. KUNTZ. 

